To facilitate and provide field-based educational, research, and outreach opportunities for students and professionals from the University of Washington and partnering institutions around the world in areas relating to global health and the environment at the human-environment interface.

The Center's target focus is field-based study of the human-wildlife-environment interface,  the continuum of human health to environmental health, on a global scale. The Center has direct collaborative agreements (MOUs) with institutions and organizations in various countries that facilitate center-sponsored field-based educational/research/outreach opportunities for students and professionals. The Center complements and supports the University’s expanding emphasis on international education and global citizenship; and as such, functions in something of a supportive role to the University’s Office of Global Affairs.   The Center also offers an umbrella unit that other units/departments/programs/individuals with similar interests can partner with, contribute to, etc..